Report claims Apple’s AR/VR headset has moved beyond production tests

What you need to know

Apple has reportedly finished production tests of its rumored mixed reality headset.
More information should be available when DigiTimes publishes its full report tomorrow.
Apple’s headset is expected to arrive before the end of 2022.

Apple seems to still be on course for a 2022 announcement.

Apple’s heavily rumored mixed reality headset is said to be moving closer to an unveiling with a new report claiming that the unannounced headset has passed the latest round of production tests.

Amid rumors that Apple could announce its mixed reality headset headset this year — a claim made by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and later qualified with the news that things could be delayed until next year — DigiTimes reports that the company’s production tests are progressing well. The DigiTimes report was a sneak peak at a more full report that will be made available tomorrow, however, meaning hard information is lacking for now.

However, the preview does suggest that sources in the suppliers of headset components have pointed to a launch by the end of this year after the EVT 2 stage of testing was completed. That round of testing is designed to make sure that manufacturers can produce products to Apple’s specification and requirements, at least on a small scale.

While there have been rumors swirling around the idea of an AR/VR headset for years, little concrete information is known at this point. We’ve seen mentions of realityOS in recent App Store logs and features like speedy Apple silicon and 4K displays are heavily rumored.

Unfortunately, it does sound likely that Apple’s first mixed reality headset will be a costly one — reports of prices north of $2,000 have been floating around for months which suggests this won’t be a huge seller for Apple, at least initially.